Take-up mechanism for sewing machines



April 117', 1934, e. A. FLIECKENSTEIN TAKEUP MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheer, l

glvwentoz A ril 17, 1934- G. A. FLECKENSTEIN TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr; 17, 1934 TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACMNES George A. Fleckenstein, Stratford, Gonna, as-

signor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 5., a corporation of New ."iersey Application July 7, 1932, Serial No. 621,200 8 cieime. (or. 112-2411) This invention relates to sewing machines and has for its object to provide a novel form of takeup of simple construction and which will properly control the thread when the machine is operated at high speed.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the head of a sewing machine with my improved take-up embodied therein.

Figure 2 is a front'elevation similar to Figure 25 1 with the face-plate removed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, to show the relation of the parts. 1

Figure 5 is a detail section taken substantiall along the line 5-5 of Figure l.

e In the embodiment of this invention selected for illustration, 10 indicates the overhanging arm of a sewing machine which terminates in the usual hollow head 11 within which is disposed the take-up mechanism and the operating means for the needle-bar. As shown, the main shaft 12 is rotatably journaled in a bearing bushing 13 in the arm 10 and has secured to its end by the set screws 14' a counterbalancing disk 14 having a rigidly attached crank-pin 15 disposed with its axis offset from the axis of the shaft 12. A needle-bar 16 extending through a suitable bearing 17 in the bottom of the head 11 is operated by 40 the usual pitman 18 having one of its ends pivoted to the crank-pin 15 and the other end pivotally secured to the needle-bar by the pivot-crew 19.

The take-up mechanism of the present invention includes a disk 20 rigidly secured to the 45 crank-pin 15. Adjustably attached to the disk 20 by the elongated slots 21 and screws 22 is a second disk 23-formed with a crank-pin 24.

to receive the cylindrical bar or rod 32 which is clamped in place by the screw 33. Secured to the rocking member by the screw 34 is a takeup arm 35 having its free end 36 laterally offset and the offset end provided with thread-eyes 3'7. 60 The rod 32 has a pivotal and sliding connection with the crank-pin 24. As shown, a bent crankarm 38 has one of its ends pivotally connected with the crank-pin 24 and its other end formed with a bore arranged transverse to the axis of the pin 24, the rod 32 being slidingly fitted in the bore. It will be obvious that as the shaft 12 is rotated the rod 32, rocking member 31, and the take-up lever 35 are oscillated about the stud 7 29. 0

0n the opposite side of the head 11 is an apertured boss 39 in which is secured by the set-screw 40 a headed stud 41 having fixed thereon a rocking member 43 provided with a depending splitlug 44. The rocking member 43 is apertured to receive the cylindrical rod 45 which is held in place by the clamping action of the screw 46. The cylindrical rod 45 has its free end laterally offset as shown at 4'7 and the offset portion is provided with thread-eyes 48. The cylindrical rod 45 constitutes, in efiect, a second take-up lever and it is pivotally and slidably connected with the crank-pin 26 by a bent crank-arm 49 having one of its ends pivotally connected to the crankpin 26 and the other end formed with a longitudinal bore which slidably receives the rod or takeup lever 45.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the take-up levers 35 and 45 are appositely directed, and are fulcrumed to swing concomitantly in the same direction about their horizontal axes 29 and 41 which are disposed at opposite sides of and parallel to the needle-reciprocating shaft 12. In other words the take-up levers have alternate movements about their pivots simultaneously in a clockwise direction followed by a simultaneous movement in a counterclockwise direction during each rotation of the main-shaft. And that the take-up levers are actuated from the needlereciprocating shaft 12 to and from a position in which the levers are in alignment with each other by a balanced actuating mechanism which is afforded by the provision of diametrically oppoite crank-pins 24 and 26 carried by'the needlereciprocating shaft. It will also be observed that the oppositely directed movements of the take-up levers multiply the take-up and slack-giving action upon the thread, thereby requiring only relatively short take-up levers which reduces the 1 vibration of the ends of the levers.

A face-plate 50 having arcuate slots 50' through which the lateral offset ends 36'and 47 of the take-up levers extend is secured to the head 11 by the screws 51. The face-plate carries two tension devices 52 and 53 and two thread-guide members 54 and 55. As shown in Figure 1, the thread is preferably led from the two threadguides 56 and 57 fixed to the head of the machine to the two tension-devices 52 and 53, fixed threadguide member 54, the take-up lever ends 38 and 47 and thence to the fixed guide 55 and the needles 58.

From the above it will be seen that the takeup levers and their operating means are. completely enclosed in the head of the machine excepting the extensions 36 and 47. This construction prevents accidents in case of breakage when the machine is operated at high speeds. Two threads are shown in this embodiment, it will be obvious, however, that only one thread or any number. of threads may be used and that the lead of the thread to the eyes of the take-up levers may b1 varied.

to provide means for lubricating the bearing, crank-arms and crank-pins, I have provided a lubricant reservoir 60 in the bearing 13 which may be filled through the plug 61. The reservoir 60 is filled with waste or other fibrous material which lubricates the shaft 12 direct. Some of the lubricant in the reservoir fiows through the aperture 62 and along the longitudinal bore 63 in the shaft 12 thence through the conduit 84t0 the crank-pin 15. The excess and spent lubricant thrown off by the bearing 13 is collected in a depression 65 from which it flows by gravity through the lubricant conducting conduit 66 to the lubricant reservoir 67. To lubricate the pivot-pin 29 and the cylindrical rod 32 a lubricant conducting wick 68 is provided. The wick 68 has one of its ends depending in the lubricant reservoir 67 and its other end threaded through the duct 69 in the pivot-pin 29 which is provided with an aperture '10 through which the lubricant escapes to the bearing surface of the rocking member 30. The wick 68 also supplies lubricant to the lubricating pad 71 which is fixed to the boss 72 on the head of the machine by the screw- 73.

To lubricate the pivot-pin 41 a wick 74 is provided having one of its ends depending in the lubricant reservoir 67 and its other end threaded through the longitudinal bore .75 in the pivotpin 41. The bore 75 connects with-apertures 76 through which the lubricant escapes to the bearing surface of the rocking member 43. A second lubricating pad '77 secured by the screw 79 and plate 80 to the boss 78 on the head 11 of the machine is' provided to lubricate the rod or take-up lever 45. A wick 81 having one of its ends depending in the lubricant reservoir 67 supplies lubricant to the pad '77. It will be evidentthat the lubricant is drawn by capillary attraction from the reservoir 67 through the wicks 68 and 74 to the bearing surfaces of the rocking members 30 and 43, and that lubricant issupplied to the lubricating pads '71 and '77 by the wicks 68 and 81. It will also be evident that the rods 32 and 45 are lubricated by contacting the lubricating pads 71 and 77 when they reach their extreme positions as shown in Figure 2.

To lubricate the bearing surfaces of the crankpins 24 and 26, I have provided two lubricant conduits 82 and 83 which are secured in suitable apertures in the head of the machine. The conduits 82 and 83 are provided with wicking 85 and which extend out of the free ends of the conduits. The hub of thecrank-arm 49 has a lubricant-receiving aperture 86 which communicates with an aperture 87 in the crank-pin 26. The aperture 87 conducts the lubricant to the fiber filled lubricant chamber 88 in the crank-pin 26. The crank-pin 24 is providedwith a longitudinal bore 89 which is' filled with fibrous material and communicates with a lubricant-conducting aperture 90. It will be obvious from the foregoing that the crank-arms 38 and 49 wipe against the wicks 84 and 85 during each revolution and that the lubricant is conducted through the apertures 86 and 90 to the bearing surface of the crank-pins 24 and 26 and to the fiber filled reservoirs 88 and 89 from which it is further distributed to the bearing surface through apertures 8'7 and 90'. A third lubricant conduit 91 carrying a wick 92 which contacts the periphery of the disk 20 supplies the disk with a film of lubricant which flows down the side of the disk to further lubricate the crank-pin 15.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the elements employed are susceptible of material variations. The privilege is therefore reserved of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

Having'thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with a main shaft, of a pair of oppositely directed take-up levers fulcrumed to swing about axes disposed at opposite sides of and parallel to said main shaft, and means for concomitantly swinging one of said levers upwardly and the other of said levers downwardly each about its respective axis.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a needle-bar reciprocating shaft, of diametrically opposite crank-pins carried by said needle-bar reciprocating shaft, a plurality of take-up levers adapted to be oscillated about fixed pivots and means connecting said take-up levers with said crank-pins for oscillating said take-up levers about said pivots.

3. Abalanced take-up mechanism for sewing machines having a needle-bar reciprocating shaft, comprising crank-pins carried by and disposed on oppositesides of the needle-bar reciprocating shaft, oscillatory take-up levers ful-' crumed to swing about horizontal axes disposed at opposite sides of the needle-bar reciprocating shaft, and crank-arms connecting said crankpins with said take-up levers.

4. A balanced take-up mechanism for sewing machines having a hollow head and a needle-bar reciprocating shaft extending therein, comprising crank-pins carried by the needle-bar reciprocating shaft, take-up levers fulcrumed to swing about pivots fixed to the head of the machine, and means connecting said crank-pins and said take-up levers for swinging said take-up levers about their pivots, all of said take-up mechanism being disposed and enclosed within the hollow head.

5. A sewing machine having in combination, a needle-bar reciprocating shaft, 9. needle-bar reciprocable thereby, a disk carried by said needlebar reciprocating shaft, a plurality of crank-pins adjustably secured to said disk, a plurality of pivot-pins, take-up levers pivoted to swing thereon, and crank-arms pivotally connected to said crank-pins and slidably connected with said 150 takeup levers for swinging said take-up levers about said pivots.

6. A sewing machine having in combination, a main shaft, a needle-bar reciprocable thereby, a pair of diametrically opposite crank-pins carried by said main shaft, a pair of pivot-pins having their axes disposed at opposite sides of and parallel to said main shaft, a cylindrical rod fulcrumed on one of said pins, a take-up lever con.- nected to said rod, a crank-arm pivotally connected to one of said crank-pins and slidably connected with said rod, a second take-up lever fulcrumed on the other of said pivot-pins, and

a crank-arm pivotally connected to the other of said crank-pins and slidably connected with said second take-up lever.

7. A sewing machine having a bracket-arm, a

pair of oppositely directed take-up levers fulcrumed on said bracket-arm and provided with thread-eyes, and means for actuating said takeup levers to and from a position in which said levers are in alignment with each other.

8. A sewing machine having in combination, a needle-bar reciprocating shaft, a needle-bar reciprocable thereby, a pair of pivot-pins, a pair of take-up levers pivoted to swing thereon, a pair of diametrically opposite crank-pins carried by the needle-bar reciprocating shaft, crank-arms pivotally connected with said crank-pins, one of said crank-arms being directly sleeved upon one of said take-up levers and the other of said crankarms upon a. rod rigid with the other of said take-up levers.

' GEORGE A. FLECKENSTEIN. 

